1. Scope of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for monitoring a cumulative physiological state and for predicting a target state under physical exercise, which system includes means for measuring a variable depicting the intensity of the exercise and for registering it relative to time, the control unit consisting of a user-interface device, which includes an input device and output device. In the control unit, there are software means for performing calculations.
The term physiological target state of the user refers to a state achieved by a selected intensity of exercise and a selected duration of the exercise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional exercisers's and sportsperson's heart-rate meter consists of a heart-rate transmitter component and an operating device. The heart-rate transmitter is usually an ECG sensor and radio transmitter, or some other device for transferring data, secured on top of the chest. The control unit is often of a model that is attached to wrist, in which there is a receiver, keypad, display, and processor for performing the desired functions. Another general model consists of an operating device connected to an exercise machine. Such exercise machines include stationary cycles, rowing machines, cross-trainers, steppers, etc. Instead of heart-rate, some other variable depicting physical activity can be used. Exercise machines permit the physical power of a person to be determined precisely, through external power.
Application publication U.S. 2003/0028116 ‘Caloric Exercise Monitor’ discloses one heart-rate meter monitoring caloric consumption. In this case, the user sets a specific number of calories/weight reduction as a target prior to training. During training, the consumption of calories is calculated with the aid of heart rate and the user is shown the number of calories consumed, the time taken to reach the target, and the number of calories remaining before the target. However, the consumption of calories does not depict a physiological state. The amount of calorie consumption is poorly suited physiologically as a correct measure of physical training. The target is approached the whole time, despite the intensity of the exercise. In fact, on the basis of calorie consumption a user has no way of knowing whether the training is effective relative to their personal state.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,077 ‘Method in Connection with Personal Non-Invasive Heart-Rate Measuring Arrangement with Alarm’ discloses another heat-rate monitor for directing training. In order to control the level of training, specific heart-rate limits (lower and upper limits) are set for the heat-rate monitor, between which the heart rate should remain. If the heart rate rises/drops away from the target range, the monitor gives an alarm. In interval-type training, several heart-rate limits can be set, which are activated at a set time. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,077, the intensity (heart-rate level) of the exercise is used as the target state, so that the real effect of the training (e.g. development of VO2max) can not be predicted relative to time.
U.S. publication 6411841 ‘Human-Related Measuring Assessment’ discloses a training device, in which the lactate content of the blood is calculated with the aid of the heart-rate, power, or speed, in order to depict the intensity of exercise.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,535 ‘Controlling of Fitness Exercise’ discloses a method, in which the lactate content of the blood is measured with the aid of the heart rate from exercise. After loading, the optimal heart-rate level for the final warm-up is found (exploiting the variation in heart rate), by means of which the removal of lactate would be as efficient as possible. The monitor shows a real-time assessment of the lactate content, so that the user can end the warm-up, once the lactate has dropped to the desired level. As such, lactate depicts best the intensity of exercise and thus poorly the cumulatively accumulated exercise, so that a specific lactate level is not a good physiological target state.
International patent publication WO 2004/016173 discloses widely a method for monitoring physical state during exercise. The essential feature of the method is to create a cumulative exercise index that depicts the cumulative exercise load at each moment and, in addition, the corresponding necessary recovery time, without the duration of the exercise being require as a variable, but by including it in the current index at each moment. The most important factor in the BFI index that has been developed is the ‘upslope component’, which sums the exercise on a scale that implement physiological recovery using all the values. This is scaled preferably numerically to an EPOC value, which can be described simply as the body's oxygen deficiency. In the publication, the prediction of the physiological state is given quite little attention, even though it is quite central to the user. In connection with FIGS. 9 and 10 of the aforementioned WO publication, the use of the EPOC value as a physiological meter is explained and an example is presented of selected training-effect areas. The publication discloses neither a suitable user interface for exploiting the cumulative exercise index, nor a method for predicting the target state.